Category Archives: WBG News & Reports

Stronger together? Reflections on an 11-year journey through water reform

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It’s now 2017 and I’m in Washington DC at the latest leg of my journey. Just a few days ago the World Bank’s Water Global Practice launched a toolkit and background report that explores why, when and how water utilities can work together to provide better services. This is the culmination of a years-long team effort and, for me, a particular satisfaction to have even more evidence to inform our policy advice on the matter. As often, the conclusions are more nuanced than my (and many of my colleagues’) Cartesian mind would like. The success of an aggregation depends very much on your starting point and what you are trying to achieve, and so you really need to think about those two points as you design your reform process…. But I don’t want to give all the insights away – check out the toolkit, discover the case studies, listen to the interviews and read the report if you want to know more!

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PLSO Energy Sector Mission 2017: ‘Integrating Sustainable Energy in Global Development’

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The Private Sector Liaison Officers (PSLO) Energy Sector Mission 2017 with the theme ‘Integrating Sustainable Energy in Global Development’ attracted more than 80 energy organizations from eight different countries interested in the work International Financial Institutions do in the Energy Sector. The PSLO Energy Sector Mission 2017 was jointly hosted by the following organizations: Alberta Canada, the Embassy of the Netherlands, Advantage Austria, Business France, ICEX and the World Bank Group.

PSLO Mission 2017

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Rebel Supports the World Bank in Developing Global Guidelines for the Management of Unsolicited Proposals in Infrastructure Projects

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RebelGroup (or “Rebel”)—the majority Dutch firm with offices in Rotterdam, Antwerp, Manila, Johannesburg, and Washington D.C.—has been advising governments on the development of infrastructure projects for 15 years. Over the past decades, Rebel has both experienced and shaped some of the major trends in the global infrastructure market—including a significant growth in the use of public-private partnerships (PPPs).

PPPs allow a government to engage a private company for the construction, maintenance, operations, and financing of an infrastructure project in a long-term contract that—through its focus on optimal risk allocation and performance incentives—maximizes value to society. PPPs have relieved many governments from the cost overruns and delays that traditionally plagued infrastructure projects, allowing more projects to be delivered on-time and on-budget.

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Meet & Greet: Stefan Peuchen (27)

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What is your role within the World Bank? How does your department contribute to reducing poverty in the world?

Ever since early 2017 I am a Financial Management Specialist within the Governance Global Practice (GGP). GGP constitutes one of 14 operational branches (Global Practices or GPs) of the World Bank. It’s development interventions result in stronger, more efficient and accountable institutions leading to enhanced service delivery. As such I am involved in designing and operating Governance projects (lending, Technical Assistance) to a range of African countries. Through a well-functioning public sector, with capable civil servants and sound and accountable public finances, client countries can better provide public services and consequently improve citizens’ socio-economic outcomes.

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The Roadmap for Safer Schools—a conversation on making school infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters

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gpss_roadmap_coverImagine that you are an advisor to your country’s Minister of Education. A recent earthquake damaged hundreds of schools in several cities. The minister has called for a meeting with you and asked: What are the main factors that contribute to the vulnerability of our school infrastructure? What can be done to prevent similar damages in the future?

So… What would you advise? In search of answers, we spoke with the leaders of the World Bank’s Global Program for Safer Schools (GPSS), who have recently launched an innovative tool, the Roadmap for Safer Schools. This roadmap is a guide to design and implement systematic actions to improve the safety and resilience of school infrastructure at risk from natural hazards. 

What makes schools unsafe?

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Unlocking Women’s Potential in Sri Lanka’s Labor Force

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SriLanka-SocialMedia-7803Pushpa drops her youngest son off at the day care centre at St. Theresa’s Church in Thimbirigasaya every day. The 37-year-old then heads to work as a maid. There are days when this routine becomes impossible. If her child is feverish, for instance, the day care won’t accept him because he may infect the other children.

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Game-changing water solutions for the Middle East and North Africa

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The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has become a hotspot of unsustainable water use, with more than half of current water withdrawals in some countries exceeding the amount naturally available. This could have serious long-term consequences for the region’s growth and stability. Solutions for narrowing the gap between the supply of and demand for water are an urgent priority.

As the Fourth Arab Water Forum gets underway next week in Cairo, Egypt, much is at stake in the region’s water management. Armed conflict and massive numbers of refugees have put tremendous additional stress on land and water resources in MENA as well as on infrastructure in communities receiving the refugees. In Jordan alone, according to the country’s Ministry of Water and Irrigation, climate change and the refugee crisis have reduced water availability per person to 140 cubic meters, far below the globally recognized threshold of 500 cubic meters for severe water scarcity.

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Climate-Smart Development : Adding Up the Benefits of Actions that Help Build Prosperity, End Poverty and Combat Climate Change

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This report describes efforts by the ClimateWorks Foundation and the World Bank to quantify the multiple economic, social, and environmental benefits associated with policies and projects to reduce emissions in select sectors and regions. The report has three objectives: 1) to develop a holistic, adaptable framework to capture and measure the multiple benefits of reducing emissions of several pollutants; 2) to demonstrate how local and national policymakers, members of the international development community, and others can use this framework to design and analyze policies and projects; and 3) to contribute a compelling rationale for effectively combining climate action with sustainable development and green growth worldwide. By using a systems approach to analyze policies and projects, this work illustrates ways to capitalize on synergies between efforts to reduce emissions and spur development, minimize costs, and maximize societal benefits.

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Addressing Climate Change: Why Forests Matter?

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boomSTORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Over 100 countries included actions related to land-use change and forests in their nationally determined contributions to fight climate change
  • The World Bank is supporting countries in their efforts to harness the potential of forests to reduce poverty, better integrate forests into their economies, and protect and strengthen the environmental role they play
  • Forest-focused initiatives in China, Mexico and Mozambique are showing positive results, but more is needed to accelerate climate action and deliver on the Paris Agreement

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Swallowed by the Sea…Where coastal infrastructure and jobs meet climate change

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Life is shifting fast for coastal communities in West Africa. In some areas, coastlines are eroding as much as 10 meters per year. Stronger storms and rising seas are wiping out homes, roads and buildings that have served as landmarks for generations.

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I was recently in West Africa to witness the effects of coastal erosion. To understand what’s going on, we took a three-country road trip, traveling from Benin’s capital Cotonou, along the coast to Lomé in Togo and then to Keta and Accra in Ghana. These three countries, among the hardest hit by coastal erosion, offer a snapshot of what is happening along the rest of the coast, from Mauritania, via Senegal to Nigeria. 

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